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Ashraf Abouomar, Pottsville, a native of Egypt, plans to open the Garfield Diner, Pottsville, in the next few weeks.

A native of Egypt who runs a gyro stand at Renninger's Farmers Market, Schuylkill Haven, is planning to reopen Garfield Diner in Pottsville.

"I have a good feeling about the place," Ashraf Abouomar, 46, of Pottsville, said Tuesday while cleaning out the kitchen of the 1950s-style restaurant at 402 W. Market St.

Last week, downtown Pottsville experienced the loss of one of its historic eateries, Coney Island Downtown, which closed its doors Aug. 26. By turning on the lights and doing work at the Garfield Diner, once a popular breakfast, lunch and dinner stop, Abouomar will no doubt attract some attention, city Code Enforcement Officer Donald J. Chescavage said Tuesday afternoon.

The Garfield Diner originally opened in August 1953 and was the backdrop for a speech by then-presidential candidate John F. Kennedy, who stopped in Pottsville while running against Richard M. Nixon.

Since the 1990s, the Garfield Diner has had several owners.

In November 2006, the diner was reopened by John M. Nicolas, Port Carbon, then closed two years later.

On July 2, 2008, Bill Kontogiannis, a native of Nafpaktos, Greece, and his wife, Lean, reopened the diner while leasing the property from Jimmy Manaroulas and George Hazakis, Pottsville. The restaurant closed Jan. 30, 2011.

To prevent the building from losing its commercial zoning designation, which was set to expire in February, Manaroulas and Hazakis opened the diner for one day to serve light refreshments, Chescavage said.

Abouomar said he's been living in the United States for 21 years. He said he recently leased the Garfield Diner property from Manaroulas and Hazakis and he is still developing the menu.

Abouomar said he hopes to open within a month but the property must first pass city building code and health inspections, Chescavage said Tuesday afternoon.

This week, Abouomar spent $55 to buy a permit from the city to do some electrical repairs and he hired TRT Electric to do the work, according to Chescavage.

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